Enhancement of pseudocapacitance performance of p-type conductive polymer in the presence of newly synthesized graphene oxide-hexamethylene tributylammonium iodide nanosheets

Bimetal-organic framework derived Cu(NiCo)2S4/Ni3S4 electrode material with hierarchical hollow heterostructure for high performance energy storage

Rational design of electrical active materials with high performance for energy storage and conversion is of great significance. Herein, Cu(NiCo)₂S₄/Ni₃S₄, a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical hollow heterostructured electrode material, is designed by etching the well-defined bimetal organic framework (MOF) via sequential in-situ ion-exchange processes. This trimetallic sulfides with unique structure provide large surface area, hierarchical pore distribution and enhanced electrical conductivity, can enrich the active sites for redox reactions, facilitate electrolyte penetration and rapid charge transfer kinetics. As a result, the Cu(NiCo)₂S₄/Ni₃S₄ electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 1320 F/g at 1 A/g and excellent rate performance (only 15% of capacitance is attenuated when the current density is increased by 20 times). Furthermore, a fabricated hybrid supercapacitor of Cu(NiCo)₂S₄/Ni₃S₄/AC can deliver a maximum energy density of 40.8 Wh/kg, remarkable power density of 7859.2 W/kg and superior cycling stability (85% retention of capacitance after 5000 cycles), demonstrating great potential for practical applications in energy storage and conversion devices.

Sericin grafted multifunctional curcumin loaded fluorinated graphene oxide nanomedicines with charge switching properties for effective cancer cell targeting

Fluorinated graphene has recently gained much attention for cancer drug delivery, owing to its peculiar properties including high electronegativity difference, magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent, and the photothermal effect. However, the hydrophobic nature of fluorinated graphene greatly hinders its application as a biological material. Herein, a novel green method is reported for synthesis of a pH-sensitive charge-reversal and water-soluble fluorinated graphene oxide, modified with polyethyleneimine anchored to sericin-polypeptide (FPS). This nanocarrier was further loaded with curcumin (Cur), and characterized as a nanocarrier for anti-cancer drug delivery. The synthesized nanocarriers contain two different pH-sensitive amide linkages, which are negatively charged in blood pH (≈7.4) and can prolong circulation times. The amide linkages undergo hydrolysis once they reach the mildly acidic condition (pH≈6.5, corresponding to tumor extracellular matrix), and subsequently once reached the lower acidic condition (pH≈5.5, corresponded to endo/lysosomes microenvironment), the FPS charge can be switched to positive (≈+28 mV), which aids the nuclear release. This nanocarrier was designed to selectively enhance cell internalization and nuclear-targeted delivery of curcumin in HeLa, SkBr3 and PC-3 cancer cells. Moreover, FPS-Cur demonstrated high curcumin loading capacity, prolonged curcumin release and promotion of apoptosis in HeLa, SkBr3 and PC-3 cells. Therefore, with its pH-responsive charge-reversal properties, FPS-Cur would be a promising candidate for chemotherapy of cervical, breast and prostate cancers.